Marcus Aurelius Comments:
The Army Operating Concept, describes how future Army forces conduct operations as part of the joint force to deter conflict, prevail in war, and succeed in a wide range of contingencies in the future operational environment. It describes the employment of Army forces in the 2016-2028 timeframe with emphasis on the operational and tactical levels of war. The Army Operating Concept (AOC) explains how the Army will comply with and execute guidance derived from the Army Capstone Concept (ACC) released in January 2009. The AOC will guide revisions in Army doctrine, organizations, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, and facilities (DOTMLPF). It also serves as a bridge between the ACC and war fighting functional concepts, and enhances integration of Army forces with a wide array of domestic and international partners.
A major theme in the ACC which the AOC seeks to implement is Operational Adaptability – defined as operating under conditions of uncertainty and complexity. Key to this concept is the Army's ability to simultaneously execute multiple variations of operations such as conducting combined arms maneuver and wide area security within the context of full spectrum operations.
“Army forces capable of combined arms maneuver and wide area security operations are an essential component of the joint force's ability to achieve or facilitate the achievement of strategic and policy goals,” said Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, commander U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia.
Written with the understanding that joint, inter-agency, intergovernmental and multinational partners will be key players in future warfare, the AOC provides guidance on how the Army will function in the multi-player environment during 2016-2028.
The AOC also functions as a conceptual basis for developing future solutions within the various domains of DOTMLPF.
